Summary of Cuban athletics in 2016

HAVANA.- (ACN) The confirmation that hammer thrower Yipsi Moreno will receive the Beijing 2008 Olympic gold medal is one of the nice news reported by Cuban athletics in 2016.

After the doping of Belarusian Aksana Miankova, Moreno will be proclaimed Olympic champion in the women´s hammer throw event, so Cuba will add its 78th gold medal in Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) website reported that Miankova is among the seven doped ratified athletes in Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 called to give back their medals.

Miankova had won the scepter with 76.34 meters, setting then an Olympic record, and was escorted by Moreno, who reached 75.20 m.

In that way, justice was done with an athlete who, in addition, exhibits in her impressive record three crowns in World Championships (2001, 2003 and 2005) and other important results at Pan American and Central American level.

Also in 2016, Cuba had a discreet performance in Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games where could only reach a bronze medal through discus thrower Denia Caballero.

Yarisley Silva, one of the athletes with more options to win a medal in the women´s pole vault, just finished seventh, while an injury prevented to compete to triple jumper Pedro Pablo Pichardo, another Cuban with great hopes of becoming medalist in athletics.

However, athletics reported memorable performances of Cuban competitors in Rio 2016, who despite not climbing to the podium were confirmed in the elite of their respective events, such as decathlonist Leonel Suárez (sixth), heptathlonist Yorgelis Rodríguez (seventh) and the men's 4x400 relay (sixth).

In addition, the 16th edition of the World Youth Athletics Championship was held this year, tournament in which Cubans won three titles and two silver medals.

With headquarters in the Polish city of Bydgoszcz, the Cuban monarchs in that contest were Lázaro Martínez, in the men´s triple jump, and the also men Luis Enrique Zayas (high jump) and Maykel Massó (long jump).

Adriana Rodriguez (heptathlon) and triple jumper Cristian Naples were the runner ups; and in general the Cuban delegation finished fourth in the standings and eighth in points (50).

Also, in the Diamond League there were prominences for Cuban representatives, contest in which Caballero won five bronze medals, result which placed her third in that event with 24 units.

Pole vaulter Silva, Beijing 2015 world monarch, earned several medals in that strong athletic contest, including the title she conquered in Birmingham, England, and the silver medal obtained in Monaco, in the months of June and July, respectively.

It is worth mentioning that on English soil, the universal indoor queen of Sopot, Poland, two years ago, beat the height of 4.84 meters which at the time became world season best.

Thus, between more and less happy moments, Cuban athletics closes this year, waiting for a 2017 in which there will be new challenges, including the world championship with stage in London from August 5 to 13.